A congressionally mandated report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine has determined the United States needs a 20-year “blueprint for action” that includes an Interstate Highway System Renewal and Modernization Program partially paid for by a higher federal fuel tax, and that allows tolls and per-mile-charges on more interstate routes.
Per the report, the future of the nation’s highway system is threatened by a persistent and growing backlog of structural and operational deficiencies, as well as by the progress of automated vehicles, developments in electric vehicles and vulnerabilities due to climate change. Without action, interstates are at risk of becoming increasingly unreliable and congested, far more costly to maintain, less safe, incompatible with evolving technology, and vulnerable to the effects of extreme weather.
Recent combined state and federal capital spending for interstates has been approximately $25 billion annually, but modernization efforts during the next two decades will require at least $45 billion to $70 billion annually. To that end, the report recommends that Congress legislate the Interstate Highway System Renewal and Modernization Program (RAMP) to reinforce a partnership where the federal government would provide leadership, vision and the bulk of the funding, and the states would prioritize and execute projects in their traditional role as owners, builders and maintainers of the system.
Additionally, Congress should direct the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration to establish criteria for “right-sizing” the interstates and work with states, industry and independent technical experts to start planning for the transition to more automated and connected vehicle operations.
